Chapter 171: An Unexpected Encounter (2)
Chapter 171: An Unexpected Encounter (2)
We pushed eight tables together. I sighed, wondering if we’d made it unnecessarily long, but Ko Yeonju banished my sigh by bringing out a feast that made our current spread look paltry.
As everyone found their seats, I noticed a bit of sauce on the corner of Ahn Sol’s mouth. She must have gotten hungry while carrying the food and snuck a few bites. When Vivian pointed it out, the party burst into laughter, and Ahn Sol ducked her head in embarrassment. (For the record, Vivian didn’t laugh. I think she was genuinely angry.)
Ko Yeonju, with a pleasant laugh, lifted the mood by saying that since she had to clear out the inn and the ingredients soon anyway, eating as much as we possibly could was the best way to help her. The party didn't hesitate for a second. No, it was more than just not hesitating. The moment I picked up my spoon and took a bite, the others dove in like ravenous beasts, as if to make up for a whole day of hunger. After a few rounds of drinks, the gloomy atmosphere that had unknowingly settled over us during our exploration of the Cave of Screams vanished in an instant.
Once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the caravan’s attention naturally shifted to the Chaos Mimics. They had been gulping and swallowing their saliva since we first found them, but now that the cleaned mimics were right before their eyes, they stared at my lips with pleading gazes. I was about to open them anyway, so I gave a faint smile and picked up the two mimics slumped over on a chair.
Just then, I felt someone tugging at my collar. I glanced over to see Ahn Sol, her face flushed as if she’d had a drink, pulling at my clothes with both hands. In a slightly drunk, slurred voice, she mumbled.
“Orabeoni… I-I wanna do it too… I want the mommy mimic… Mommy mimic… I wanna do it too…”
Piecing together the context, I figured she was saying she wanted to take the treasure out of the mimic, too. Since they were already cleaned, I had no problem lifting one up. Of the two, I handed her the one that was just a tiny bit smaller—the one that, as Ahn Sol put it, looked like the “Mommy Mimic.”
With Ahn Sol having claimed one, a small commotion broke out among the others. They all raised their voices, insisting they should get to do the remaining one. It was a squabble that involved not only Ahn Hyun and Lee Yoojung but even Vivian. However, I put an end to the debate by siding with Yoojung, who had been the first to say she wanted to do it.
Soon, the two girls, each holding a mimic, walked over to an empty space in the center of the room, their faces alight with excitement. I had already placed an Formless Sword and an Elixir in each, so I wasn't too worried. They stood apart from each other and opened the tightly shut lids of the chests. And at that same moment, the rest of the party shut their mouths.
A dead silence fell over the inn as Lee Yoojung’s voice counted down, “Three, two, one…” The moment her countdown hit “zero,” the two of them simultaneously flipped Hall Plain’s greatest treasure chests upside down.
Chwa-rurururururu! Thud! Thud! Clang! Clang!
Unlike when we emptied the Baby Mimic, a series of dull, heavy sounds echoed through the room. It was just as I’d expected. To be precise, the stream of currency and jewels wasn't as wide as before. Instead, I could see heavy-looking objects falling out here and there. These were surely priceless pieces of equipment, their value incomparable to mere money or gems. I smiled with satisfaction, watching these mimics that, unlike the baby, knew true value and acted their age.
This time, it didn't take several minutes for them to spit everything out. The torrent of items, including the heavy ones, quickly began to narrow. This was because other things were taking up the space that would have been filled with coins and gems. Finally, after the Papa Mimic spat out a long, thin wooden box and the Mommy Mimic spat out a round shield, nothing more came out.
Lee Yoojung and Ahn Sol repeatedly patted their backs, but they only coughed up dust. Then, with a speed that surprised me, the party sprang into action. As if they had planned it beforehand, they quickly swept aside the currency and jewels and began moving the equipment. Ahn Hyun was in such a hurry that he even kicked aside a large pile of gold coins. It was the kind of act that would make users who couldn't afford food and lodging for lack of 10 gold scream in horror. Meanwhile, Jung Hayeon, Shin Sangyong, and Vivian, each with a handful of item appraisal scrolls, walked toward the equipment the others were moving one by one.
Seeing Ko Yeonju also join them with a look of interest, I leisurely activated Third Eye.
First, I calculated the gold and gems. Last time, we got 60,000 gold in coins alone, and the gems were worth even more. But this time, it was definitely less. The gold from both mimics combined barely surpassed 30,000. The gems, at least, were decent. There were over two hundred top-grade gems alone. I figured if we combined all the gems we’d collected so far, we might have over a thousand. It was a truly staggering amount.
After a quick count of the gold and gems, I immediately turned my gaze to the heavy-looking items. The others had already gathered them in one place, making them quite easy to inspect all at once. I started with the helm closest to me. The silver, shining helmet seemed to be a helm-type, judging by the way the metal plates were bent and fitted together. The red thread decoration neatly arranged on top was impressive.
Behind it, I saw a suit of Brigandine-style armor. It was a form of scale mail, with small metal plates riveted in several layers onto tough, flexible leather, which was then covered by another layer of leather. At a glance, it was hard to tell if someone was wearing armor or just a leather tunic. As the others continued to bring over the equipment, I began to examine them one by one with Third Eye.
Soon, a flood of messages began to appear in the air.
『Helm of Courage』
Description: A magic helm containing a large amount of Mithril (17%). The fluttering red decoration on top is the symbol of the Knights of Valor, who were hailed as a holy order before the age of mages. The wearer of this helm gains immunity to status effects such as fear and curses. However, this effect is only active while wearing the helm, and its maximum strength may vary depending on the user's Magic Power stat.
『Mighty Sun』
Description: In the distant past, beyond ancient times, there was a temple in the Hall Plain that worshipped the Sun God. When the temple was invaded by an unknown group, it sent forth a single hero to confront them. The hero fought bravely against the enemies but was ultimately unable to overcome their superior numbers and died. The Sun God, saddened by his death, bestowed a small blessing upon his armor to honor him. While the sun is out, the wearer's Durability stat is slightly increased (+5). Its base physical defense is considerable, but due to the god's blessing, it can receive a damage reduction effect against magical attacks originating from a Magic Power stat of 75 or lower. However, this effect is only active while wearing the armor and is based on the user's Magic Power stat.
『Legend of Hoplon』
Description: A large, round shield with a diameter of 60 centimeters. This shield was used by soldiers of what was called the strongest army in the distant past, beyond ancient times. Among them, the Legend of Hoplon was used by the elite soldiers who guarded the king on his personal campaigns and was praised as the strongest shield of its time, the ultimate defensive weapon. If the user can handle it, it can reflect any physical or magical strike. However, this ability is based on the user's Magic Power and Luck stats.
『Lucky Four-Leaf Clover』
Description: A ring made by collecting ten dewdrops that form once a year on a four-leaf clover, a flower said to bring good luck. It is exceptionally beautiful in appearance and has a function that protects the wearer's body. (Details: Always maintains a constant body temperature, provides partial resistance to curses and contamination-type mental magic.) When worn by a user with a Luck stat of 90 or lower, it provides a slight increase to that stat (+2).
『TOPG (Twin-Headed Ogre Power Gauntlet)』
Description: Gauntlets made from a Twin-Headed Ogre, a subspecies of the Ogre, king of the forests. These gauntlets were crafted with great care by a skilled non-human blacksmith and a legendary sage. They unconditionally provide a slight increase to the wearer's Strength stat (+2). The ability Rage, dormant within the gauntlets, can be used.
Rage: A unique ability dormant in the gauntlets. When the wearer's pure health drops below 30%, the user becomes steeped in rage, and their Strength, Stamina, Durability, and Agility stats are slightly increased. However, due to some magical treatment, this equipment allows the use of Rage without unsettling the wearer's mind.
『Coat of Plates』
Description: A one-piece coat of plate so elegantly decorated with an outer layer of Mithril that it could be worn to a banquet. However, heavily reflecting the creator's taste, it takes the form of a leather coat rather than typical armor. It has high physical defense and some magical defense, making it suitable for actual combat, but its weight is a drawback. It has a self-repair function.
『Evil-Banishing Bow (破邪)』
Description: Exorcism - The First Wing. It contains the authority to shatter evil and corrupt energy. It boasts overwhelming attack power against any energy related to the demonic. However, the authority of Exorcism is based on the user's own Magic Power stat, thus there is a limit to its maximum attack power.
『Glory of Heaven』
Description: A black martial arts uniform named Glory of Heaven. This garment was woven from the silk spat out by Akraned, the male of a notorious male-female pair of spider monsters from the ancient Hall Plain. After the spider was subjugated, this clothing was offered to a temple, thereby gaining divine power. It is incredibly difficult to cut or tear and possesses outstanding physical defense. It has self-purification and self-repair functions.
『Glory of the Sun』
Description: A red belt named Glory of the Sun. This belt was woven from the silk spat out by Arachne, the female of a notorious male-female pair of spider monsters from the ancient Hall Plain. After the spider was subjugated, this clothing was offered to a temple, thereby gaining divine power. When worn with the Glory of Heaven, the divine energies react with each other, finally unleashing their true power. Wearing the belt over the Glory of Heaven generates a high level of magic resistance. However, as this ability is a phenomenon resulting from the reaction between the two garments and not based on the user's stats, it cannot be increased or decreased on its own.
『Elixir (Stamina)』
Description: When consumed by a user with a Stamina stat of 80 points or less, their total points will increase by 4.
『Formless Sword』
Description: An invisible sword passed down from ancient times. It has a function that binds it to the user. Its true form exists in the spirit realm, which is why it is invisible to the eye. It can strike beings in all dimensions, and if certain conditions are met, it is possible to summon the sword's physical form into the mortal world. It has exceptional cutting power and boasts a sturdiness that makes it nearly unbreakable. It can also handle 100% of magical attacks and defenses for all attributes. It has a self-repair function.
『Elixir (x3)』
Description: Cures all status ailments. Recovers all health and mana. As long as the person is not dead, it has the efficacy to save anyone.
“……”
I stopped reading for a moment and clutched my head. It wasn't because I was tired. It was because the items we’d gotten were so incredible they surpassed all my expectations. Honestly, when I first saw the Helm of Courage, I was thinking it would be fine if the rest were just of similar quality. But after that, it was safe to say that most of the equipment that followed outclassed that first helm. It was so overwhelming that I, reading them one by one, could barely keep my wits about me.
However, it wasn't over yet.
“Oh, I found another one. It’s a long wooden tube. Looks like there’s something inside.”
“I found one too! But what is this? It looks just like an ostrich egg.”
“Ow, sharp! Hmph… I got poked by the horn.”
“Ew, what’s this dirty pouch? Yuck.”
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
I had just checked twelve pieces of equipment, but seeing them bring over more, one by one, I swallowed hard. I didn't have the nerve to read any more descriptions, so I decided to just check the item list first. What on earth else could there be…?
『Sun and Moon Divine Sword』
『Egg (Pegasus's Egg)』
『Unicorn's Horn』
『Rare Class (Twilight Medium)』
“Cough!Cough, cough!”
I barely managed to hold it together until the Unicorn's Horn. But the moment I saw the last item on the list, I coughed violently. What in the world was in that pouch for the list to show a Rare Class? As soon as I read ‘Twilight Medium,’ I quickly wracked my brain, but I couldn't remember it at all. It seemed to be a class that hadn't appeared in my first playthrough.
I no longer had the energy to be surprised. So, I gently sat my butt down on a nearby chair. I was happy, but having so much good fortune come all at once was actually starting to make me anxious. I mean, the Formless Sword was one thing, but how in the world did we get two more Elixirs?
While I was freaking out with all my might (?), the others were arranging the equipment as if they were handling sacred relics and separating the gold and gems. Seeing them just roughly sorting and stuffing the currency back into the mimics, it seemed they weren't very interested in those anymore. The three mages, each holding scrolls, were sweating profusely as they appraised the gear.
Watching them, I quietly pulled a cigarette from my pocket and placed it in my mouth. For some reason, a strange feeling of anxiety wouldn't go away. I had a feeling, for some unknown reason, that we had to leave Mule as soon as possible.
*
After
I think back then, it wasn't that I didn't know, but that I had a vague inkling. I had tried to ignore my anxiety, distracted by the equipment we’d found, but in any case, I couldn't have known then. Even thinking about it now, how could I have possibly dreamed that the anxiety I felt would soon become reality?
The one I least wanted to meet in the Hall Plain. To be more precise, the user I had desperately wanted to avoid in the beginning was about to come looking for me. Completely unaware of this fact, I think I was just staring blankly at the equipment.